Born in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio, LiPuma started his career in the music industry packing records in a shipping warehouse before moving to Los Angeles to become a radio promoter for Liberty Records. From there he transitioned into music publishing, before starting his own label, Blue Thumb Records, having been inspired by the cultural and musical shifts of the late 1960s. LiPuma subsequently held positions at major labels such as Warner Bros. Records, Columbia Records and Elektra Records.

As a producer, LiPuma collaborated with artists such as Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis, George Benson, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Randy Newman, Diana Krall, Dave Mason, the Yellowjackets, Joe Sample, and Dr. John. He won his first GRAMMY for Record Of The Year for his production work on Benson's "This Masquerade" for 1976. He earned the coveted Album Of The Year award for 1991 as the producer for Cole's Unforgettable With Love. LiPuma also earned GRAMMYs for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Krall's Live In Paris (2002) and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for McCartney's Kisses On The Bottom (2012). His most recent GRAMMY win was for Best Surround Sound Album for 2013 for another McCartney project, Live Kisses.

Craig Mack, Early Bad Boy Entertainment Star, Dies At 46

The Brooklyn rapper, and Bad Boy Entertainment's first breakout star, has died

Brian Haack

GRAMMYs

Mar 13, 2018 - 11:28 am

GRAMMY-nominated rapper Craig Mack has reportedly passed away near his home in Walterboro, S.C., at 46, according to the New York Daily News. His longtime producer Alvin Toney stated that Mack died of heart failure on Mar. 12, following an extended battle with an unspecified illness.

In 1994, Mack became one of the first breakout stars of the then-nascent Bad Boy Entertainment label, headed by a young Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Mack's single "Flava In Your Ear" was Bad Boy's first big hit, climbing all the way into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earning Mack the nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 37th GRAMMY Awards. Tantamount to the single's importance in bringing national attention to Bad Boy Entertainment as a rising force in hip-hop, a remixed version of the track was released by Bad Boy as a follow-up, which featured one of the first solo appearances by Busta Rhymes, alongside a then-unknown young rapper known as the Notorious B.I.G.

Rest in power Craig. May the almighty embrace your soul & lift up your family and friends. it was a pleasure to know you & rock with you. You $tepped away from the game & did it your way.. I always respected that.#RIPCraigMack

Mack's friends and collaborators took to social media today to express their reactions to Mack's passing. New York based rapper/producer Erick Sermon, who appeared alongside Mack, Rakim, KRS-One, and several others in a freestyle session on the final episode of "Yo! MTV Raps" also revealed that he was in the finishing stages of releasing Mack's latest album when he found out the rapper had passed away. Further details on the still-untitled project's release date are still forthcoming.

Lil Peep, Alt-Rock/Hip-Hop Fusion Rapper, Dies At 21

Fans and fellow artists take to social media to mourn the young artist

Brian Haack

GRAMMYs

Nov 16, 2017 - 11:28 am

American rapper, singer, and producer Lil Peep — née Gustav Åhr — died Nov. 16 prior to a tour appearance in Tucson, Ariz. A spokesperson for the Tucson Police Department has confirmed that evidence was found on the rapper's tour bus indicating the cause of death to be a drug overdose, according to The New York Times.

The SoundCloud rapper and rising alt-pop star was on tour in support of his debut album, Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1. He died just two weeks following his 21st birthday.

Best known for his self-produced bedroom-recorded tracks such as "Crybaby" and "Hellboy," Lil Peep built a rabid online fanbase through his unique blend of emo-rock hooks and trap-inspired rapping. References to heavy drug use as self-medication to deal with severe depression were a staple of the young rapper's songwriting, and his soul-baring acknowledgement of his real-life trials and mood swings forged a powerful connection with a fanbase built almost entirely via SoundCloud and Instagram.

"I suffer from depression and some days I wake up and I’m like, 'F***, I wish I didn’t wake up,'" he said in an interview with Pitchfork. "That's the side of myself that I express through music. That's my channel for letting all that s*** out."

Lil Peep began his career in music after leaving high school early and earning his degree via online courses. He began releasing self-produced music on YouTube and SoundCloud, where he discovered an unexpectedly fervent fanbase, prompting him to release his first mixtape Lil Peep Part One in 2015.

Though ostensibly a rapper, Lil Peep drew acclaim from his fans and music critics alike for his refusal to be pinned down by the conventions of any one genre, often sampling artists such as Underoath, Brand New, the Postal Service, Oasis, and the Microphones to build the sonic bed for his Southern-rap inspired vocal deliveries. His lyrical content — touching equally on themes of relationships, revenge, angst, and self-harm — prompted Pitchfork to label him as an artist who was "reinventing heart-on-sleeve agony for a new generation."

Lil Peep was vocal on social media and in his songwriting about his close relationship with his mother. She has released a statement through a representative of First Access Entertainment, stating she remains "very, very proud of him and everything he was able to achieve in his short life," and that she is "truly grateful to the fans and the people who have supported and loved him."

David Bowie, Elton John, Train Collaborator Paul Buckmaster Dies

The GRAMMY-winning composer/arranger worked with some of the biggest acts in rock history

Brian Haack

GRAMMYs

Nov 8, 2017 - 5:35 pm

GRAMMY-winning artist, arranger, conductor, and composer Paul Buckmaster died on Nov. 7, according to a tweet from his management company, McDaniel Entertainment. An official cause of death has not been revealed. He was 71 years old.

A classically trained cellist from the age of 4, Buckmaster shifted gears to composing orchestral arrangements for pop and rock artists in the late '60s, making a name for himself after writing the string arrangement for David Bowie's "Space Oddity."

Throughout the early 1970s, Buckmaster rubbed elbows with many now-legendary artists in the early phases of their careers, contributing to Elton John's albums Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection, and Madman Across The Water, as well as Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones.

It is with heavy hearts that we share our beloved friend and longtime client Paul Buckmaster has passed away. Paul’s iconic arrangements touched the world and he will be deeply missed. We will share more details as they become available. https://t.co/68UWrr5OJk

Bennington became acquainted with his future Linkin Park band members in early 1999, the same year he moved to Los Angeles. Released in 2000, the group's debut album, Hybrid Theory, was a huge moment in the lives of Bennington and his bandmates — it was nominated for the GRAMMY for Best Rock Album and the single "Crawling" won the GRAMMY for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 44th GRAMMY Awards.

The album would also eventually be certified diamond in the U.S. and multi-platinum in several countries. The fourth single, "In The End" also charted No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and Alternative Songs charts, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following their unexpected success with Hybrid Theory, the band continued to see strong critical and commercial success. Their sophomore effort, 2003's Meteora, would take the top slot on numerous album charts around the globe, including hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album blew the doors off Hybrid Theory's first-week sales numbers, raking in over 800,000 units sold in its first seven days.

Bennington's next GRAMMY Award came after he and Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda created Collision Course, a mash-up EP that paired tracks from the band's first two albums with beats and vocals made famous by fellow GRAMMY winner Jay-Z.

One of the songs from that album, "Numb/Encore" earned Bennington and Linkin Park their second GRAMMY for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay Z at the 48th GRAMMY Awards.

Chester Bennington recalls big night at the GRAMMY

Born in Phoenix, Bennington became interested in music at a very young age, using his artwork and writing poetry as outlets for his emotions in the face of difficult family dynamics and daily bullying at school as a young child.

His biggest musical inspirations were Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots, and he grew up dreaming of one day singing lead vocals for the latter group. That dream would eventually come true for a period from 2013–2015, after which, Bennington stepped back to return his focus to making new music with Linkin Park.

His ongoing path toward recovery, along with his support for the MusiCares MAP Fund and his dedication to helping other artists who were likewise working to find sobriety, led to his being honored alongside skater Tony Alva at the 9th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert in 2013.

Bennington's tragic passing comes at a time when he and his band were touring in support of their latest full-length LP, One More Light, just released in May of this year.

"As the cutting-edge lead vocalist of Linkin Park, Chester’s powerful range, paired with his impressive songwriting skills, made him a bona fide hard rock hero," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "His riveting stage presence made every live performance magnetic, earning him millions of fans around the globe. We have lost a truly dynamic member of the music community and our sincerest condolences go out to Chester’s family, friends, collaborators, and all who have been impacted by his work."

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